Toy animal



C. l. SWEET TOY ANIMAL F i led May 16. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1925 C- I. SWEET Nov. 10

TOY ANIM iled May 1 1923 I 0 6 1 47 0% w W "m M 5 s m J7 a 1. ml. w 5 f L m Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

CLIFFORD I. SW'EET, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

TOY ANIMAL.

Application filed May 16,

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD 1. SWEET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of vVhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Animals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to toy animals, and particularly to that class of toy animals in which the forward movement of the body causes certain parts of the animal to move in a more or less life-like manner.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a toy animal of this character having a head which is movable and legs which are movable, and provide means operatively connected to the legs and head whereby when the legs are moved the head will move, and more particularly to provide an animal having a vertically movable head, and provide means for intermittently raising and lowering the head as the legs are moved.

A further object is to provide an animal in the form of a fowl wherein the head is vertically movable and wherein the bill is movable, and provide means operatively connected to the legs whereby as the head moves upward the bill will close and as the head moves downward the bill will open.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof, one of the sections of the body being removed, this figure showing the head of the goose raised by the elongation of the neck;

Figure 3 is a like view to Figure 2, but showing the head of the goose lowered;

Figure 4; is a top plan View partly broken away of the base;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing a modification.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a base which may be made of metal, wood or any other suitable material but is shown as made of thin metal. This base is rectangular in form to provide downwardly 1923. Serial NO. 639,370.

extending ends and sides. The base is formed with two longitudinal. slots, as at 11. There is a forward axle 12 and a rear axle 13. T have illustrated one of these axles as being formed with double cranks whereby to actuate the moving members of the toy animal.

Mounted upon the base between the slots 11 and extending vertically upward therefrom is a supporting bracket 14 shown as having divergent portions 15, and mounted upon this bracket is the body 16 of the animal, which is illustrated as the body of a goose. This body is formed of wood or other suitable material and is preferably formed in two sections A and B. These sections are abutted against each other and held in place by screws. One of these sections on its inner face is recessed, as at 17, y

for the accommodation of mechanism.

Two legs are provided, designated 18. Each section is recessed, as at 19, to receive these legs, the legs being reduced in thickness at their upper ends to fit in said recesses. Each leg is pivoted upon a pivot 20 and each leg at its lower end terminates in a foot 21.. This foot is disposed just above the upper face of the base 10 and each 35 leg has a rod-like extension 22- which .extends down, through the slot and is formed at its lower end with an eye for connection to a connecting rod 2?) extending to one of the crank; on the axle 12 or 11% it will, therefore, obvious that as this base is drawn along the floor, the wheels 24 on the axles will cause the axles to revolve and that oscillating motion will be communi- 'ated to the legs, the legs, of course, oscillating in opposite directions.

The head of the animal as, for instance,

a goose is designated 25 and this head is shown as provided with a fixed bill 26 and a movable bill 27. This movable bill is hinged to the head in any suitable manner as, for instance, by a fabric hinge 28 and the joint between the base of the bill and the head is covered by a flexible strip 29 which will permit the bill to open and close. The head 25 is carried by means of a vertically extending rod 30 which extends down through a passage 31 leading to the recess 17 and this rod at its lower end is pivoted to a bellcrank lever 32 pivoted at 33. The upwardly extending arm of this lever is connected by a link 34 to an oscillating the internal lever 35, the lower end of which is attached to the inside face of one of the legs 18. The upper edge of this leg is rounded and the upper edge of the recess 19 is rounded.

Attached to the bill 27 above its hinge is an arm which extends rearward, and

connected to this arm is a cord 37 which extends downward and is attached'to an eye 88 on the upper face of the body. Therefore, it will be obvious that as the head 25 moves upward, this cord 37 will be tightened and will cause the closing of the bill. Any suitable means may be used to cause the bill to open, and as a matter of fact the bill will open under its own weight, or a spring may be used for this purpose. Preferably the head will be joined to the body by means of a coil of fine wire, designated 89, and exterior to this wire there will be disposed a tubular member 40 of textile fabric painted to simulate the neck of the duck, or this exterior casing 40 may be left off and the coil of fine wire itself be painted to simulate the neck of the goose. In either case it will be obvious that this construction will permit the head to rise and fall without any apparent separation between the head and the body.

The operation of this toy will be obvious from what has gone before. As the toy is drawn over the floor, the legs will oscillate in opposite directions and one of these legs will operate the lever 25 which, through the bell crank lever 32, will alternately raise and lower the head 25. As the head is raised the bill will close and as the head lowers the bill will open.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction illustrated, as it is obvious that the principle of this toy may be applied to figures of other animals and I do not wish to be limited, therefore, to the particular figure which I have illustrated, that is the figure of a goose. Obviously in order to apply the principle of the device to other animals there will have to be slight modifications in the levers and connections, but the principle may be applied in a large number of different ways.

I do not wish to be limited to a device of this character wherein the oscillation of the legs acts to raise or lower the head, as

in Figure 6 another form of the device is shown wherein a front axle 12 is shown having a crank therein and a rod 30 is connected directly to this crank and operates vertically through the breast of the goose and connects directly to the head 26 in the manner heretofore shown. I have not attemptedtoillustrate in Figure 6 all of the details of such a construction but merely to illustrate that the rod might extend directly downward to a front crank.

A toy of the character described is amusing and interesting to children, and may be cheaply made.

I claim l. A toy of the character described comprising a body having the form of an animal, a head separate from the body and provided with a pivoted member, legs pivoted to the body, a platform upon which the body is supported, wheels and axles for the platform operatively connected to the to oscillate them, a rod extending downward from the head and into the body, operative connections between said rod and one of said legs whereby an oscillation of the leg will cause the vertical movement of the head, and means operatively connecting the body and the pivoted member on the head whereby to cause an oscillation of the pivoted member as the head is raised and lowered.

2. An animal toy of the character described having a body simulating an animal, legs pivoted to the body, means for oscillating the legs as the toy is drawn over the ground, a head separate from the body, a lever attached to one of said legs and ex tending into the body, a bell crank lever mounted in the body and having one arm operatively connected to said lever, a rod attached to the other arm of the bell crank lever and extending vertically upward and engaged with the head, and a flexible member simulating a neck and connected at one end to said head and the other end to the body and surrounding said head.

3. An animal toy of the character described comprising a body simulating an animal and having a head, the head being formed with a hinged portion, legs pivoted to the body, means for oscillating the legs, a lever attached to one of said legs and extending into the body, a bell crank lever mounted within the body and having one arm operatively connected to one end of the lever, a rod connected to the other arm and extending vertically upward and into the head and supporting the head for vertical movement, a flexible cord connected at one end to the body and at the other end operatively connected to the movable member on the head, and a flexible member simulating a neck and attached at oneend to the body and at the other end to the head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

CLIFFORD I. SWEET. 

